Search

A couple of months ago, I was in dire need of a denim shirt. And by “in dire need,” I mean I had a deep, deep want. See, I had read about how denim shirts are perfection when tucked into fun skirts, and I couldn’t get that idea out of my head.

I told this to my dear friend, Haithem Elkadiki, the menswear designer behind his own label, KaaDiki. When I asked where he thought I should buy a denim shirt, his answer was, “Darling, I’ll just make you one.”

I practically skipped to his studio in Inglewood, where Haithem was waiting with good tunes (Kelis’s latest album was playing), fabric and a fitting jacket. (I may have brought some caramel Baileys and coffee. It was a Saturday, after all.)

Haithem gave me the beautiful end result just before Christmas. And oh, how I love my KaaDiki denim shirt. The details — the snaps, the high-quality fabric, the touch of gold stitching — are perfect, and the shirt is versatile enough that I can wear it to a coffee date or to work. The proof is below. (I did, in fact, wear the second outfit to work. I know it looks like I’m a mannequin in my living room. These are the perils of trying to shoot an outfit yourself.)

I’ve been thinking about other ways to wear my denim shirt. Here are three options I’ve come up with.

1. For a night out, I’ll draw inspiration from the cover of Flare’s January issue and wear the shirt with statement necklaces, bracelets and black pants:

2. For a flirty outfit, I’ll wear the denim shirt tucked into a sequin mini skirt, like this one from J. Crew. I love this whole look, especially the rugged boots and socks. My lace-up Frye boots are just waiting to be worn with this outfit:

3. To head to the farmers’ market on the weekend, I’ll wear the denim shirt over my Free City tank top:

p.s. If I’m lucky enough to escape Calgary’s cold and I land on a beach, I’ll use my KaaDiki denim shirt as a cover-up for my bikini. Lately, I love Salinas bikinis. I bought my first one at She Apparel in Calgary; I called last night and they have a few in-store. A quick Google search says that The Bikini Lounge also carries the brand. I think this Salinas bikini is gorgeous:

(Is it bad to book a beach vacation just so you can buy a new bikini and wear an awesome denim shirt cover-up? I don’t think so, either.)

7 Responses to “The Denim Shirt: A Fashion Staple”

I had a denim shirt in university, which I paired all the time with these two wrap skirts I owned. Of course, mine wasn’t quite as classy as the one you have! I’d probably get a lot more use out of your version….

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

[…] I began to covet my own Innocent Pride scarf on Christmas Day, when Laura Halvorsen, a good friend to the Magnan siblings, stopped by our parents’ house for a visit. She was wearing an Innocent Pride scarf, and I was immediately smitten with the loop of material, the leather cuff and the unique look it added to Laura’s denim shirt. (As we know, lately I’m all about how to wear the denim shirt.): […]

[…] I haven’t just completed online research in advance of this fine-looking event — I’ve also spent some behind-the-scenes time with Haithem Elkadiki, dear friend, fellow hazelnut chocolate-lover and the designer behind KaaDiki, as he cast models for his show. (I’ve written about him before, here and here.) […]